Drying apparatus



Feb.3.1925.

L525308 G. A. LOUGH DRYING APPARATUS Filed May 19, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gerald ALough Feb. 3. 1925.

G. A. LOUGH DRYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed May 19 1921 grww/TD'D Gerald Allough Patented Feb. 3.1925.

UNITED STATES 1,525,308 PATENT OFFICE.

GERALD A. LO'UGH, or PLAINFIELDL'NEQW JERSEY.

nnrme APPARATUS.

Application filed May 19, 1921. Serial 1Tb. 470,817.

' powder form the solids in liquids or semiliquids and it relates particularly to an apparatus for this purpose wherein the water content of the product to be dried is eliminated by spraying and evaporation, all as will be hereinaftermo-re fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar p Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectionwthrough an apparatus constructed inacco-rdance with tends inwardly from one .head or end of themy said invention, Figure 2, a detail sectional view on the dotted line 2'2 in Figure 1, p

- Figure 3, a detail of a cam in Figure 1, Figure 4, a longitudinal section of a -modified form, and i Figure 5, a transverse section 55 of Figure 4. v

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the main housing of the apparatus, B a conduit for the admission ofheated' air,

on line C a conduit for the discharge of the powder,

D a spray nozzle, and E an exhaust fan.

The housing, A is preferably of metal but me. be constructed of any materi desired an pacity' of apparatus desired. It is provided with a fixed tubular bearing 10 which exhousing and near its other end has a partition 11 forming a part of conduit C. The partition is formed with an annular bearing 11. v I

The conduit B leads from any appropriate source of heated air and preferably discharges into the drying cylinder at the center of the head on which bearing 10 is mounted.

The powder discharge conduit C leads from the opposite end as shown.

The spray nozzle D is of any appropriate type and is mounted to discharge through i? 12 and 13, casing of appropriate size to pro do the cae opening for the conduit B into the drying chamber, the point of the nozzle being preferably back of the opening in the headof the housing and central of the heated air inlet. Said nozzle is connected with a source of supply, (not shown) usually under I pressure, as will be readily understood by those familiar with spray drying apparatus.

Within the housing A is mounted a rotating drying chamber composed of metal rims 12 and 13 connected by a cloth screen 14. Said rim 12 is mounted within the bearing 11 at one end of the housing A and rim 13 is formed as a. flange of a sleeve '15 mounted upon the annular bearing 10 at the other end of said housing. Within rim l2 and securedv thereto is a spider consisting of a hub 16 and a number of radial arms 17, the hub 16 being secured on a short shaft 18 which isjournaled-in a bearing 19 on the adjacent head of housing A and the outer ends of arms 17 being secured within a frusto-conical casing 20 connected to rim 13 by outwardly flaring end portions on said casing. An annular'chamber or 'space is thus provided between said casing 20 and" screen 14 open only at the lower or discharge end where the flange of member 12 is cut away as at 21, only enough metal being left to form a secure connection between parts 12 and 20. If desired thearms may extend across the space between the casing and the screen and be attached at their ends to the rim 12. A sprocket wheel 22 is mounted on sleeve 15 and is engaged by a chain 23 which also passesover a sprocket wheel 24 on a shaft 25 by which the parts are driven to rotate the drying chamber composed of rims 20 and cloth screen 14 and connecting parts.

I A beater device for removing the product from the interior of the screen is provided and consists of a wire 26 fastened to the ends of easing A or I may provide a series of wires and springs at oneend of the same asin Figure 4. A lever 27 pivoted on a.

bracket 28 is connected by flexible connections 29 passing about suitable pulleys with In operation the liquid to be dried coming.

through spray nozzle D in an atomized form passes to the interior of the drying casing ,20 surrounded by the screen 14 which parts rotate constantly and are filled with heated air coming throughconduit B. A suction is created in the chamber surrounding the screen by any suitable means acting through the opening at the bottom of the housing. The water content is evaporated and is exhausted through the screen into the chamber surrounding said screen and from thence passes outside. The dried product travels down the inclined surface of the rotary casing 20 to the lower end and passes out through conduit C to any'appropriate receptacle. The portion collected by screen '14 passes down between the casing and the screen through apertures 21 and discharges at the same point C.

Referring to the modification in Figures 4 and 5 the housing A, the conduit B, the discharge outlet C and the spray nozzle D may be the same as in the modification first described or similar to the corresponding parts, an exhaust fan E being also shown in this form. The rotary parts are supported by a flange 31 on one head of the housing and a bearing 32 on the other head. The rims 33 and 34 support between them a cloth screen 35, rim 33 being located about flange 31 and rim 34 in bearing 32. Within the rim 33 is a spider consisting of a hub 36 and a plurality of radiating arms 37 connected to the hub and the rim. The hub is mounted on a shaft 38 rotating in a bearing 39 which may in appropriate circumstances, form the sole support for this end of the casing, the rim 34 and flange 32 then acting merely as a closure to prevent the powdered.

material from passing into the hou ing A.

A casing 40 formed, in this instance,.as a cylinder is attached at one end to the arms 37 and at the other by an outwardly flaring portion to the rim 34. The cylindrical casing with the rims 33 and 34, the screen 35, the spider and its shaft 38 are rotated by a worm wheel 41 driven by a worm 42. On the same shaft with the worm 42 is a. gear. 43 driven by a pinion 44 on a shaft 45 connected to any suitable source of power.

A beater mechanism is provided for dislodging such of the evaporated material as may adhere to the screen and this beater mechanism comprises one or more wires 46, here shown as each having at one end a spring 47 connected to a bracket projecting outwardly from one head of the casing. A lever 48 is pivoted to a bracket 49 above the screen and one end of this lever is connected to the wires 46 by flexible connections 50. An arm 51 projects from a rotating shaft 52 in position to depress the opposite end of lever 48, the shaft 52 being driven by a belt 53 which in turn is driven from a shaft 54 carrying a gear 55 meshing withthe gear 43.

The operation of this device is similar to that of the device lit? Figurel. The current of air from condui B receives from nozzle D a spray fluid which may be liquid or semiliquid to be evaporated and this passes through the cylinder 40, the greater part of the powder separated from the mixture being deposited at the bottom of the cylinder and gradually working its way down to the outlet C. The air current passes around the end of the cylinder 40 and between the ends of arms 37 into the narrow space between casing 40 and screen 35 where the remaining powder is separated from the air-current by the screen, the air being drawn out of the housing by the suction created by the fan E. The powder deposited on the screen is also moved toward the outlet C by the action of gravity and the rotation of the casing. Any powder adhering to the screen will be shaken off by the beating action of wires 46, the wires being gradually drawn up by lever 48 when they end of the same is depressed by rotating arm 51. In this modificatior the springs 47 are necessary because of the varying length of movement of the different wires though a spring may be found useful where only astingle wire is used if the up and down movement is large in proportion to the length of the wire. The beater mechanism here shown may be adapted for use with the device shown in Figure 1, and many other changes may obviously be made in the devices shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims. I Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byv Letters Patent, is:

7 1. A drying apparatus of the character described comprising a housing, a rotary inclined tubular casing mounted within said housing, means for introducing heated air into the tubular casing at one end, means for spraying liquids within said rotary.

screen at the same end, means at the other end of the tubular casing for receiving the dried residue of material, an outlet for the moisture-laden air, and a screen between said casing and sald outlet for air arranged to discharge into said receiving means, sub-' .stantially as set forth.

2. In a drying apparatus of the character described the combination of a housing provided with an inlet for heated air, an outlet for the dried product, and an outlet for the moisture-laden air, a screen mounted in said housing, means for rotating the screen, a spray nozzle adapted to discharge within the rotary screen, beaters for striking against saidscreen as it rotates, and connections between the heaters and the screenrotating means for maintaining a uniform speed ratio between them, substantially as set forth.

3. A drying apparatus of the character describcdcomprising a housing, a rotary casing within said housing, a screen mounted around said rotary casing spaced therefrom and adapted to rotate therewith, an opening from one end of said rotary casing to the space between said casing and screen, a suction device connected with the housing surrounding said screen, means for spraying a liquid to be dried within said rotary casing, means for introducing heated air within said rotary casing, and an outlet for the with the chamber surrounding said rotary casing, substantially as set forth.

5. A drying apparatus of the character described comprislng a housing, a casing in the housing mounted to rotate on an inclined axis, a screen concentric with said rotary casing and rotatable therewith,

' means for introducing heated airinto the casing, means for spraymg fluid to be dried into the casing, an outlet for thevdried material at the lower end of the casing whereby both the material collected in the casing and that collected by the screen will automatically be discharged fromthe drying apparatus, substantially as set forth.

6. A drying apparatus of the character described comprising a housing, a rotary conical casing therein, a screen surrounding said casing and spaced therefrom, means for introducing a current of heatedair at one end of the casing and drawing it through the casing and the screen,- means for introduc-- ing' fluid to be dried into the current of air, a beater mechanism for the screen and common driving means for rotating the casing and actuating the beater mechanism, substantially as set forth;

7. A drying apparatus comprising a rotary corical casing having its axis and its lower surface inclined to the horizontal, a

screen surrounding the same and having its lower surface simllarly incline d, means for passing heated air through the casing and. the screen, means for introducing fluid to be evaporated into the air, an outlet adjacent the lowest point of the cone for receiving material from the cone and the screen and means for rotating the casing and screen whereby dried material will be discharged from the casing and screen by the action of gravit and the rotation of said parts, substa'ntia ly as set forth.

8. A drying apparatus comprising a rotary conical casing having its axis and its lower surface inclined to the horizontal, a 05 screen surrounding the same andhaving its lower surface similarly inclined, means for passing heated air through the casing and the screen, means for introducing liquid to be evaporated into the air, an outlet adjacent the lowest point of the cone for receiv- :ing material from the cone and the screen,

means for Lrotating the casing and screen, and beater mechanism acting on the screen whereby dried material will be discharged from the casing and screen by the action of a gravity and the rotation of said parts, substantially as set forth.-

9. An evaporating apparatus for liquid food products having a housing, a rotary screen in the housing having an axis inclined to the horizontal at an angle less than the angle of repose of the dried residue of such products, means positioned to receive such dried residue as it is fed OK the screen, a conduit for air at the upper end of the screen, means for spraying liquid into the current emerging from said conduit, an outlet for air, an inclined screen interposed between said outlet and said rotary screen in position to feed the material retained thereby to said receiving means by gravity, and means for. beating the second screen to aid such gravity feed, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal' at Washington, District of Columbia this 2nd day of May, A. D. A

nineteen hundred and twenty-one.

GERALD A. LOUGH. [1,. s.] Witnesses:

FRANK W. DAHN, E. W. BRADFORD. 

